Many cotton farmers in Arkansas have switched their crops to soybeans after consistent, heavy rainfall. Farmers in Poinstett County told Region 8 news that they tried planting cotton four times, but the rains the plantings and now it is too late in the season to start the crops again.
Aside from the difficulties in planting, cotton prices have also dropped because countries like China and India keep the commodity high in supplies.
“Most cotton farmers were going to cut their acres back this year anyway because of low prices and high input costs. What we have planted, we’ll have to replant, spot plant, and there’s been acres where we’ve lost the whole fields and we’ve run out of time to plant cotton,” farmer Marty White said.
White added that cotton not only needs dry, warm temperatures to grow, but is easily damaged by disease. Disease occurs when too much moisture for too long.
Arkansas is one of the top cotton producers in the world with 2.1 bales in 2004.
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